Exploring the Interests and Enthusiasms of Sturgis Charter Public School ~ International Baccalaureate for All

Sturgis Theatre: A Retrospective

Julie Carman, Lead English Teacher and IB Coordinator – West

Julie Carman

Upon arrival at Sturgis East in the fall of 2001, I was hired to teach English 9, Geometry and Acting Craft I. Thrilled at the opportunity of teaching a new course (Acting!), I quickly registered for an Introduction to Acting class at the Cape Cod Community College (aka 4C’s). My Sturgis students had no idea that I had stage fright and that I was learning the material a week before they were, but the lesson plans were always fresh and stimulating (probably because I was so nervous which must have perpetuated a little drama…). Becoming a theater teacher pushed me out of my comfort zone and has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done professionally. There is so mush risk-taking and levels of trust that need to be established in an acting class. Helping students to connect intellectually and emotionally with a character or a scene provided for many transformative learning moments, both for my students and myself. Sometimes, moments would emerge when suddenly we knew we had something very special within our grasp. Thus, it was no surprise that the first play I directed included Anna Botsford, who was a Sturgis senior in my class in 2001. The name of the play was Backstory and it was a very successful piece that won the hearts of its audience due to the emotionally charging scenes and the sheer talent of the students, many taking acting for the very 1st time.

Fuel Cast

Over the years, the theater program has exploded and it was very fitting that my final production was Fuel: Theatre in the Making; a student devised piece co-directed with Anna Botsford in 2008 while she was my student teacher. As I moved more in the direction of Lead Teacher for the English Department and Administrative Intern, I left Sturgis Theater in the creative hands of Marsha Yalden and Anna Botsford. It has been their hard work and creative energy that has transformed the program into what it is today!

In addition, while involved in Sturgis Theater, I taught Acting I & II, Theatre 10, IB Theater HL1 & 2/SL 1 & 2 from 2001-2008. I also planned the very first Sturgis Arts Festival: An Annual Celebration of Theatre, Music & the Visual Arts held each Spring at The Cotuit Center for the Arts. Some other productions that I have directed include:

The Breakfast Club, Chicago, Crimes of the Heart, Durang, Durang, The Glass Menagerie, Glimpses, The House of Bernarda Alba, Oedipus Rex, Medea, and The Wrestling Season.

Monologues and Dialogues (including scenes from Annie and Pygmalion, as well as student written selections)

Anna Botsford, Theatre and Lead Teacher for the Visual and Performing Arts – West

Anna Botsford

Being hired at Sturgis has been one of the highlights of my life thus far. Thinking I would be off to LA after graduation from undergrad, I soon began to realize that throughout my college career, my passion lay not in film but on the stage. Through intense classes on Theatre for social change, educational drama studies and theatre education, I became enthralled with giving others the gift the stage had brought me.

Back in grade school, I was a painfully shy, quiet student who went under the radar much of the time. Sturgis, and the Theatre/Music classes offered there, gave me power, a voice, and a love for both myself and the art of performing. Through being another character, I could finally become me without self doubt. Taking theatre (with our very own Ms. Carman!) back in 2001 saved me and gave me my confidence to do theatre for the rest of my life.

So, it only seemed fitting after getting my masters in Educational Theatre from Emerson in 2008, that I come back to these roots and give Cape students the gift I was given. Ironically, teaching theatre is most often not about “teaching theatre.” It is about teaching life skills, the ability to communicate with the world and be confident in yourself and your community. I want to foster these skills in every student who takes my class.

Anna Botsford with Typeset Cast

I LOVE teaching Theatre at Sturgis. Yes, it is hard work and takes long hours, but I have fun every day. The shows I am able to direct, the creativity I can indulge in and foster in others, the discussions on Theatre and life – these all make my job beautiful, exciting and worthwhile. What other job allows you to roll on the floor, create puppets out of chicken wire and dance through the halls with a bag on your head? Yet all these activities are grounded in art, history, culture and psychology. “Why Teach Theatre in Our Schools” speaks volumes about what Sturgis theatre is about and what Marsha Yalden, Diana Young and I do here:

Why Teach Theatre in Our Schools?

Theatre is a SCIENCE

Theatre is MATHEMATICAL

Theatre is a FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Theatre is HISTORY

Laramie Cast

Theatre is PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Theatre is LANGUAGE ARTS

Theatre is BUSINESS

Theatre is TECHNOLOGY

Theatre is ECONOMICS

Theatre is Taught in Schools

Not because you are expected to major in Theatre

Not because you are expected to perform all through life

Not so you can relax

Theater Students in NYC

Not so you can have fun

But

So you will recognize BEAUTY

So you will be SENSITIVE

So you will be closer to an INFINITE BEYOND THIS WORLD

So you will have more LOVE

More COMPASSION

Fiddler on the Roof

More GENTLENESS

More GOOD

In Short

More LIFE.

Of what value will it be to make a prosperous living unless you know how to live?

That is why theatre is taught in our schools.

Adapted with permission from Music Educators National conference MIOSM Planning Guide

Marsha Yalden, Theatre and Lead Teacher for the Visual and Performing Arts – East

Marsha Yalden at ISTA Conference

As I sat down to my computer this morning with my cup of coffee, I logged onto Facebook and was greeted by a video clip posted by a former student. The video was from a rehearsal of the one-act play “Competition Piece” which was performed by the students in my first IB Theatre class back in 2007. A barrage of sweet and silly comments from the students in that former class followed the post and made me smile as I began my day…

What a perfect way for me to reflect back on my journey as a theatre teacher here at Sturgis…

I was hired by Sturgis back in 2005 to teach English and Theatre. I had previously taught both subjects to middle school students in New Hampshire and at a large suburban high school in Massachusetts but had never taught IB Theatre (or heard of the IB for that matter…). I had always connected with the “quirky” kids in schools wherever I taught (I myself am a bit quirky…) and found Sturgis to be the perfect match for me.

Intro to IB Theatre

My first year at Sturgis I taught an Intro to Theatre class which only met a few days a week and for only a ½ year in room 204. The room had no soundproofing and I know I annoyed every teacher on that hallway with the strange sounds emanating from my room every day! When the nail salon next door went out of business, Sturgis purchased the space to expand the school (where the nurse, guidance, and large conference room are now located…). Before the space was renovated I convinced Jim Albrecht to give me a key and I used the empty room as a classroom and rehearsal space for our first production.

This is a Test 2005

Over the course of that first year, the two half year classes somehow managed to find enough time to rehearse and put on two full one act plays, “Beyond Tolerance” and “This is a Test.” (The Cotuit Center for the Arts was finding goose feathers for quite a long time after we shredded a pillow on stage for “Beyond Tolerance” and I learned a lot about how to be respectful of all the wonderful theatres on the Cape that are kind enough to share spaces with us…).

The following year I was graced with my first IB Theatre class and we learned together what that meant. In the midst of all the hard work put into those first assessments, we also found time to rehearse the first full length play I directed at Sturgis – “Arsenic and Old Lace” – Not only was this a full length play, but a THREE act play that we only worked on during the school day! We rented the stage at Cape Cod Community College for our performance and what a difference it was working on a full stage after being cramped in room 204 for all those months of rehearsal! The dress rehearsal was a disaster (the students playing the little old ladies in the show needed to figure out how to still act old while practically sprinting across the stage!) but as they say in theatre, the worse the dress rehearsal the better the performance! The show was a rousing success and we went on to perform a few more shows over the course of the next year and a half together (“Competition Piece” as mentioned earlier was one of them).

IB Theatre Class 2007

Since I was new to the IB I didn’t heed the advice of Julie Carman (the Fine Arts Department Lead Teacher at the time) and scale back on the work load of my students in the spring of their senior year – instead I figured we had plenty of free time to put on another full show! “Did Someone Say Murder?” was one of my favorite shows ever performed at Sturgis. This was probably due to the fact that we were preparing a zany show in the midst of crazy IB stress and the outcome was hysterical! This was also when Anna Botsford (then Anna Heick) joined the Sturgis theatre department as a student teacher. She was kind enough (naïve enough?) to volunteer to take a role in this show when one of the students involved dropped out. She truly saved the day and I have been thankful to have her as part of our team ever since.

I could go on and on and regal you with details of every class and every show after that but I would be writing all day (and far exceed the limits of the space allowed me in this publication…). The highlights after that first IB class include the following:

-Having Anna Botsford hired to teach theatre full time as our little program expanded

These Shining Lives Cast and Crew

-Moving out of room 204 to the downstairs of the main building to the former art room and then eventually across the street to the Annex where we are free to move about and make a bit more noise (Sorry, Joann…)

-Expanding the theatre program again when Sturgis West was built and hiring Rachel Ollagnon and then Diana Young (after Rachel left) to aid Anna and I in our theatrical pursuits

-Joining the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild (METG) and competing in their annual one-act festival for (I think) six years now. Twice we moved onto the semi-final rounds competing against schools across Massachusetts with large theatre spaces and seemingly unlimited budgets. (My proudest moment as a theatre teacher was when Sturgis was announced as a semi-finalist for our performance of “Booby Trap,” but that’s a story for another day…)

Anna Botsford and Marsha Yalden – London Theatre Trip 2011

-Taking theatre students to London for an EF Tours trip with Anna Botsford where we saw multiple shows, toured the Globe Theatre and National Theatre, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city

ISTA New York 2014

-Joining ISTA (The International Schools Theatre Association) four years ago and taking students to New Yorks City to TaPS (Theatre Arts Programme Symposium) every fall.

Thanks to all the theatre student who came through my door every day excited to be there and becoming my “theatre babies” – I love you all!

Diana Young, Theatre Teacher – Sturgis Theatre in the Present…

Diana Young

STAGE: Sturgis Theatre Arts Guild of Entertainers

What’s really special about STAGE is that it reaches so many areas of the student population. Last year’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream involved roughly 65 students, from both East and West Campuses, and was viewed by many students and faculty in the community. It encourages a sense of camaraderie which is inherent in the nature of theatre itself. This camaraderie, friendship, and support gets us through the winter one-acts, where each school produces a separate show that travels to the state competition.

Even though each school is separated during the process of the one-acts, in 2015 Ms. Botsford and I decided to connect our shows thematically, and we both chose to produce Greek tragedy.

Medea and Antigone involved 68 students in both the cast and crew, and additionally brought their love of theatre and performance into the Massachusetts community by sharing their performance with other schools in the area. We were once again supported by a heartwarming number of faculty and students who attended our “preview” performances at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. Marca Daley, teacher at Sturgis East and avid STAGE supporter, even went so far as to travel to see our performance for the state competition, which took place at Duxbury High School!

Once on This Island

This year, we produced Sturgis’ second musical, Once on This Island, which once again involve both campuses. The East and West production of Once on This Island was a complete success. The cast, crew and pit orchestra of over 60 students worked together to create a piece of beautiful, magical theatre. Both cast and tech crew were distributed widely between both campuses and grade levels, with a number of freshmen who auditioned or expressed interest last spring. What makes a musical even more exciting for the Sturgis community is that the musical needs require even more involvement from different areas of the school. Joining Ms. Botsford and I for this production were Nhung Truong as musical director, Michele Colley as choreographer, and Natalie Sheeler as orchestra director. We also worked with additional students, who provided the musical accompaniment of the pit orchestra. We are a growing program and that is really exciting to be a part of it! After a long 2.5 months of acting, singing and dancing rehearsals, all of their hard work paid off in the final weekend production at Mashpee High School. Reviews from audience members include:

Once on This Island Cast

Bob and I thoroughly enjoyed a most wonderful treat this afternoon. Once on this Island! Please offer my warmest congratulations to all the crew on a spectacular production and performance. Congratulations and well done! (from Jolanda Ferguson)

The show was excellent and my guests really enjoyed it. It was a treat for all of us.

Thanks for your generosity and for all the effort that went into making a great production. (From Rachel Todoroff)

Sturgis Students and Alumni Reflect on their Theatre Experience

Overall Antigone has been a positive force in my life and has not only affected my personal life but also my school life in which I created a good group of friends that I know I can trust. – Anonymous

Meghan Borowski, Class of 2016 – East

Meghan Borowski

S.T.A.G.E. is definitely one of my favorite group/clubs and I have learned so much from others and from experience. I had an absolutely amazing experience with the S.T.A.G.E. crew this year and I am very excited to work with them next year. Although I wasn’t part of the cast, I took initiative in order to be part of the crew and still be around the theatre people that enjoy the same things I do. This also shows my commitment to S.T.A.G.E. because I really had no obligation to the METG competition but I wanted to be there and go to Duxbury High School to represent our school. I enjoy working with S.T.A.G.E. so I am there to do anything I can to help. Working with a different aspect of S.T.A.G.E. added to my skills in theatre and challenged me to do something that I had never done before.

Chelsea Crowley, Class of 2014

Chelsea Crowley

When I first came to Sturgis in 2011, I had no idea what was in store for me and I definitely did not know how much fun I would have during my involvement with the school’s theatre programs. I didn’t know what to expect when signing up for an IB Theatre class. All I knew was that I was going to have excellent instruction and learn new theatre techniques, but this class completely exceeded my expectations.

IB Theatre gave me a greater appreciation of theatre from around the world. Every day there was something new and exciting to learn about. During my two years in IB Theatre, I learned so much about myself that I don’t think I would have been able to learn in any other class. Giving students the ability to take a theatre class as a part of their curriculum is so important. It provides a physical relief from the constant sitting in desks and also the emotional relief from all the studying. I remember being so happy to have my theatre class fall in the middle of my day, so that I could have a break between my other academic classes.

Helping to establish the spirit of S.T.A.G.E. Left was one of my favorite experiences during my time at Sturgis. Advancing a story from paper to play is always a magical experience for me, so getting to be a part of the S.T.A.G.E. family was something I treasured and still do! Since its beginning in 2011, S.T.A.G.E. Left has always strived to be a place of acceptance where anyone is welcomed to join. We worked hard to make sure that those who wished to participate felt a sense of belonging and that tradition has continued over the years.

Fiddler on the Roof – Dress Rehearsal

One of my favorite memories during my involvement with S.T.A.G.E. Left was working among the cast and crew of, “Fiddler on the Roof”. It was my first time assistant directing for a production and I couldn’t have asked for a better group to work with. To see the collaboration between the two Sturgis schools was incredible. Typically, our theatre programs are separate and create two different productions, but through the combined participation of each school we were able to grow as a community. Now, Stugis East and West work together on a regular basis either separately devising plays that share a common theme or in a combined production incorporating cast members from both schools.

This program gave me the opportunity to learn many new skills and grow as a person. I cannot say thank you enough to the entire faculty and students who were involved in S.T.A.G.E. over the years for giving me such a positive experience.

Zoe Neal, Class of 2016 – East

Zoe Neal

As part of a cast, everyone involved in the production is totally dependent on everybody else. Each of us need to work together so that the show can go on. Everyone involved has an important role to play, and without any of us, the show would not only be less powerful, but would not be able to continue, as even small roles set the tone for the rest of the play, and without any of them, the cast would be unable to portray the show in the way it was intended. Ensemble acting is very special in that way, because you grow both independently and as core actors within a set group that strengthens over time.

STAGE is an extremely important part of Sturgis’ arts culture, as it unifies students from all aspects of student life into one program where they can drop their previous struggles and let their lives go, embracing those of others for a several hours each week to unwind and unite together in an embrace of art appreciation.

STAGE taught me how to truly be dedicated to something bigger than you in order to yield wonderful results for everyone. They’ve taught me to be a more focused learner, quieter, more respectful, and to always focus on the big picture idea above the smaller details. Additionally, this piece allowed me and the rest of the club to welcome in underclassmen who hadn’t participated in Sturgis Theatre before, and introduce them to the family of the club. It was really interesting to work with fellow students of different skill levels, as well as different grade levels. I think this really added a bigger family bond among the cast that we can carry on as the new S.T.A.G.E. seniors next year.

Victoria Nidweski, Class of 2006

Victoria Nidweski

Since my departure from Sturgis back in 2006, I have been actively involved with the Performance Art scene in the New York area. I feel that my time at Sturgis, being one of the first classes to participate in the full IB program, allowed me to have an incredibly open view on artistic freedom, which allowed me to participate in some of the most exciting projects. After years of freelancing in both production management and technical theatre I have landed a full time position at New York City Center as their Production Assistant.

NYCC opened in 1922 and is a 2,257-­‐seat Moorish Revival theater located at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan, New York City. City Center is especially known as a performing home for several major dance companies as well as the Encores! musical theater series and the Fall for Dance Festival. The facility houses the 2,257 seat main stage, two smaller theaters, four studios and a 12-­‐story office tower. Here are a few highlights of projects I have been fortunate enough to be involved with prior to City Center:

Sara Prygocki, Class of 2014

Sara Prygocki in “Noises Off”

Back in the fall of 2010, (approximately one year BWE, or Before West’s Existence) I was in Mr. Hyer’s advisory class, instructed with discovering news stories for the school paper. I was recommended to find something I liked to do and I had always wanted to do theatre, but never had the spine for it. Unfortunately, I still didn’t when I approached Mrs. Botsford to ask her if I could take pictures of the auditions for The Remarkable Incident at Carson Corners. Eventually, she convinced me to join up as a stagehand. Ironically, the newspaper faded from my life but theatre has remained a staple in it ever since.

Over my years at Sturgis, I rose from Stagehand, to Stage Manager, to Assistant Director, but I only auditioned once for STAGE. Although I won a METG acting award for my Junior HL/SL theatre classes’ production of Ed Monk’s Booby Trap, I was never a STAGE actor. This was one of my biggest regrets. Currently, I am a freshman at Fitchburg State University, majoring in Film/Video, minoring in Business Administration, and concentrating in Theatre. I just finished acting as a lead in our school’s Mainstage production of Neil LaBute’s Fat Pig. Although auditioning for this play was the most terrifying moment of my life, the lessons I learned from Sturgis definitely helped me survive and thrive in the encounter.

Even though I never got where I wanted to be at Sturgis, I am now all the better for it. As a stagehand, I learned from the actors, analyzing every part of the experience, and now I am a much better actor for it. I would encourage students that were in my situation, afraid with a dream, to work both behind and on stage, the lessons you learn and the friends you make are priceless. If you try your best (not too hard now, no one likes an overacting actor!), trust your teachers (but stay true to yourself!), and most importantly take criticism (heads up, you don’t know everything!), you will get the most out of your Sturgis experience. You may be scared now, but you won’t be forever. Who knows, someday you might just get a lead as a freshman!

Dan Souza, Class of 2015, East

College Essay

Dan Souza

I have always had difficulties looking people in the eyes. There is something unsettling about how easily people can tell from your eyes whether you’re vulnerable, or sad, or whether you’d actually rather not be talking to them. My teachers, friends, and speech therapists have all encouraged me to simply make eye contact when I address them. And still, nine times out of ten, I can’t do it.

Yet, here we are. In the mirror I look myself dead in the eye and prepare to deliver the lines of one of Shakespeare’s most iconic characters. I am taken over by a hot rush of emotion coursing through my bones, but this is not a feeling of nervousness. It’s a feeling of excitement over the approaching opportunity to show people who I am. I puff out my chest, take a deep, mighty breathe, and I start the humorous but passionate monologue of Nick Bottom from A Midsummer Night’s Dream: “When my cue comes, call me and I will answer. My next is…. most fair Pyramus!”

This has become a daily routine for me: performing for nobody but myself. Lately, it has been happening in the middle of the night, when I find myself going into the bathroom to brush my teeth, but then an hour later when I find myself still standing there, I am trying to say my lines just quietly enough so as to not wake every member of my household. Nick Bottom keeps me up at night as I mouth his words over and over to myself, trying to find just the right physicality in the mirror.

I value my time with Nick Bottom and admire him, because Bottom has shown me exactly the type of man I strive to be. Bottom is an enthusiastic man who loves the appreciation of others, and is never afraid of being watched.

In every moment, every second of his life, Nick Bottom wants people to understand him, his passions, and his talents. Ironically, Bottom feels most comfortable, best understood, when he is being watched onstage, commanding the undivided attention of his audience. Just like me, Bottom doesn’t communicate with maintained eye contact. Bottom communicates through his art, and through performance for others. Simply put, Bottom shows people who he is by pretending to be somebody he isn’t.

Most people can be themselves when they aren’t being watched. When the average person is with people that they love and understand, they feel ready to be themselves. Nick Bottom and I, we are different stories. One of the only places I feel comfortable, where I feel like I can be myself, is when I am on stage, being watched by hundreds of strangers. Because strangers are impressionable. So long as I do an excellent job, the audience is going to buy anything I act for them. It’s who I am, though. What I am is a boy who likes to pretend.

The boy who doesn’t dare to look another man in the eye is the same boy who feels at ease under the scrutiny of hundreds of people, waiting for me to put on a show.

This is where I am most comfortable, where I feel like I can be myself most easily, in front of a number of people who have no preconceived notions about me, and who are ready to believe anything I give them. I am thankful for Nick Bottom, who showed me that for a person insistent on retaining who I grew up as and who I hope to always be, acting and pretending is one of the best things I could do with my life. I work on nothing harder than I work on acting. And when I need the motivation I simply repeat to myself Nick Bottom’s classic line: “Take pains; be perfect. Adieu.”

Chelsea Thompson, Class of 2008

Chelsea Thompson Senior Photo 2008

I think that I owe a lot of success in my career to Theatre class. I work in luxury retail sales and we always compare being on the floor to being in theatre. One company I worked for even has an employee etiquette called On Stage! It’s incredible to me that I ended up working in a career where it’s my job to make conversation with new people every day, since I think you all remember what stage fright I had! I don’t think I would be this successful if I had never taken Theatre- even though I didn’t pursue a career within that, I still have used a lot of the techniques I learned to overcome my fears at work and it’s helped me to grow faster than many of my peers. I’m proud to say I just received a promotion with a new company that I will start in a couple weeks! So in the end, all I can really say is thank you Marsha Simmons Yalden and everyone in the class who gave me all the tools and support I needed to become the person I am today.

Really?, student written and directed one act (2009) (Cotuit Center for the Arts)

Frostbite (2010) (Cotuit Center for the Arts)

Detective Sketches (2010) (Cotuit Center for the Arts and also entered into the 2011 Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild One Act Festival)

Check, Please, student written and directed one act (2011) (Cotuit Center for the Arts)

Booby Trap, by Ed Monk (2012) (Cotuit Center for the Arts and also entered into the 2011 Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild One Act Festival) *Won at the preliminary round and advanced on the semi-finals!

2007-08 Independent After School Productions

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (2007) (Pope John Paul II High School)

It’s a Wonderful Life (Presented by the students of Pope John Paul II and Sturgis)